Under the framework agreement, Uniper has secured the rights to use Thyssenkrupp Uhde’s cracker technology, enabling it to move quickly once it decides to build the plants.

Uniper is currently carrying out pre-FEED work for the first commercial-scale ammonia cracker at its Wilhelmshaven site, a phase intended to firm up the design, costs and overall feasibility.

In parallel, the company tasked Electric Hydrogen with designing a 200MW electrolyser last year as the first module of a planned 1GW green hydrogen plant that will operate alongside a green ammonia import terminal at the same hub.

Uniper will begin full FEED studies for the ammonia cracker in Wilhelmshaven at the end of 2026.

Uniper and Thyssenkrupp’s 28-tonne-per-day demo plant in Gelsenkirchen will act as a technology testbed for scaling up to commercial plants.

“Domestic production alone cannot meet future hydrogen demand – imports of hydrogen derivatives will be essential,” said Holger Kreetz, COO of Uniper.

“Ammonia crackers are key to international hydrogen logistics, and together with Thyssenkrupp Uhde, we are laying the foundations for the infrastructure that Europe needs for its energy future – including our planned hydrogen import terminal in Wilhelmshaven.”

With high energy density, liquid storage, and use of existing infrastructure, ammonia is appealing to hard-to-abate industries such as maritime, though it must be cracked into hydrogen before use in applications like fuel cells.

According to the Global Maritime Forum, ammonia is nearing proof of concept, with pilot vessels, engine tests, and bunkering trials already in progress.